last verse For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted p. 116 Fear of losing Salvation the way to obtain it on Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore fear lest a Promise being left us of entring into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it p. 139 The persevering Saint shall be the Crowned Saint on Rev. 3.11 Behold I come quickly hold fast that which thou hast that no man take thy Crown p. 185 Mercy despised and God provokd thereby on Psal 106.24 Yea They despised the pleasant Land and believed not his Word p. 218 Christs Preciousness on 1 Pet. 2.7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious p. 269 The Necessity of Humiliation on Acts 16.29 30 Then he called for a Light and sprang in and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas c. p. 330 Christ the Bread of Life on John 6.35 I am the Bread of Life c. p. 360 Christs true Disciples Doers of Gods Will c. on John 7.17 If any man will do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self p. 383 These two Books of Mr. Tho. Brooks are lately Printed for and to be sold by Dorman Newman at the Kings Arms in the Poultrey A Golden Key to open hidden Treasures or several great Points which refer to the Saints Blessedness and their future Happiness with the Resolution of several important Questions c. Paradise opened or the Secret Mysteries and Rarities of Divine Love of infinite Wisdom and of Wonderful Counsel laid open for Publick View Also the Covenant of Grace and the high and glorious Transactions of the Father and the Son in the Covenant of Redemption Opened and improved at large c. Believers Mortification of sin by the Spirit or Gospel-Holiness advanced by the Power of the Holy Ghost in the hearts of the Faithful Whereunto is added the Authors three last Sermons on Gen. 3.5 By the Learned and Pious Mr. Alexander Carmichael formerly of Scotland and late Preacher of the Gospel in London Published by his own Copy The Crown and Glory of a Christian consisting of a sound Conversion and a Well-ordered Conversion Mr. Wadsworth's Legacy being his serious Exhortation to a Holy Life Also his Funeral Sermon Sayings and Elogy MANS PETITION AND GODS COMPASSION A SERMON Preach'd Septemb. 6. 1657. Psalm CXXXVIII 3. In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthened me with strength in my soul THis Psalm for the kind of it is Eucharistical a Thanksgiving-Psalm The occasion of penning this Psalm in the judgment of Interpreters was this Davids establishment in the Kingdom after that he had been hunted like a Partridg upon the Mountains driven from his own Country and banished into a Wilderness and pursued like a Traitor when after all these dangers and fears and snares and opposition that he met with from Saul and from his bloody and implacable enemies God had now setled him in the Kingdom brought his hope into his hand and had lifted up his head above his adversaries and had trodden his enemies under his feet now what he had won by prayer he wears with thankfulness I will praise thee says he in the foregoing verses with my whole heart I will worship towards thy holy Temple and praise thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth for thy loving-kindness in promising and for thy truth in performing for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name In the 2d verse it is a dark sentence at the first view but as a judicious Expositor upon the place well observes the words may be thus read and will better agree with the Hebrew Thou hast magnified thy name above all things in thy word that is in fulfilling thy word thou hast magnified thy name above all things in that thou hast fulfilled thy word what thou freely promisedst thou hast faithfully performed what thou hast spoken with thy mouth thou hast fulfilled with thy hand for which thy name is wonderfully to be magnified The name of God is that whereby God is known thy name is wonderfully magnified in fulfilling thy word nay thy name is magnified above all things that is the meaning of the phrase For the proof and evidence of this truth That God is wonderfully to be magnified for fulfilling his promise for making good his word to his Servant for the proof of this David brings in his own experience to set seal thereto in the words of the Text for says he In the day when I cryed to thee thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul So then in this verse you may take notice of these two particulars First You have Gods free favour and gracious dealing with David in the day of his fears and of his straits in these words In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me Secondly You have the evidence or proof of this free favour of God towards him in an experience that he had of it for says he Thou strengthenedst me with strength in my soul and accordingly there are these two points of doctrine that may be fairly deduced from this Text. Doct. 1. That the Lord is ready to answer the Prayers of his poor servants when they cry unto him Doct. 2. It is one gracious way of answering our Prayers when God does strengthen us with spiritual strength when he gives us strength in our souls I begin with the first The Lord is very ready to hear and answer the prayers of his poor servants when they cry unto him For the proof of this point I could bring you a whole cloud of witnesses out of the book of God but I will content my self with three or four That in the 107 Psalm Then they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses and it is four times repeated in that one Psalm for the confirmation of our faith because we are so backward to believe the truth of it and he gives four instances of men that were brought into great straits and still when they cryed unto the Lord the Lord delivered them out of their distresses and remarkable is that Scripture Isa 30.19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem thou shalt weep no more he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he shall answer thee Mark he will be very gracious to thee at the voice of thy cry you shall see the experience of it in two of Gods Saints and Servants that had tasted of Gods goodness in this particular and have set it down for our encouragement one was the Prophet Jeremy in the Dungeon Lam. 3.55 56 I called upon thy name O Lord out of the low Dungeon thou hast heard my voice hide not thine ear at my breathing at my cry God had an ear for his very breathing The other example
believe this yet many of you can live as securely as merrily and madly as if so be you should never drop down into the dust here now indeed is a notional Faith I but there is not a practical Faith it is one thing to believe a Truth notionally and another thing to believe it practically Fourthly Would you have Unbelief removed then Oh beg and beg earnestly that God would take away your hearts of stone and give you hearts of flesh let this be your Prayer every day Do you not remember how I opened that Text to you A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh Ezek. 36.26 What is a stony-heart but a sensless heart a heart sensless of sin and a heart fearless of wrath Now do but observe that unbelief and hardness of heart they still go together In Mark 16.14 Afterwards he appeared unto the eleven as they sate at meat and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart Our Saviour upbraids them for their unbelief and hardness of heart Why are you so backward to believe it is because of the hardness of your hearts Fifthly I beseech you to meditate often of the danger of Unbelief meditate often what will be the woful Effects and Issues of your Unbelief consider the Threatnings the Precepts and the Promises of the Almighty In John 8.24 I said therefore unto you that you shall die in your sins for if you believe not that I am he you shall die in your sins What die in sin Oh what greater curse can possibly be uttered To die in sin to rot in sin to come out of your graves in sin to be presented before your Judg in your sins John 3. ult He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him The wrath of God abideth on him If it were only for a few days it might be born I but it will be abiding and abiding and abiding to all Eternity the wrath of God will abide upon that Soul that does not believe In a word and so I have done As God speaks to the Prophet in another case They will not see but they shall see I apply it thus You that will not believe I promise you you shall believe you that will not believe savingly you shall believe desperately you that will not believe that God is so just so strict so severe you shall believe when you feel the wrath of the Almighty seizing upon you never to be removed you that will not believe now to the saving of your Souls you shall believe as the Devils to believe and tremble you then will believe the torments of Hell in that day when you feel them in that place where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth It is better to believe these things now than believe them when you feel them The Lord work these things upon our hearts that this Soul-destroying sin may not be our ruin CHRISTS'S PRECIOUSNESS 1 PET. II. 7. Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them which are disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the Head of the Corner THE holy Apostle that he might the better draw Christians to believe in Jesus Christ to love him embrace him and obey him as the Captain of their Salvation in the beginning of this Chapter commends to them both the Word of Christ and Christ himself who is the Kirnel and Substance of the Word he commends the Word of Christ to them in the first and second verses of this Chapter Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings as new-born Babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby And he commends Jesus Christ himself to them two ways First By shewing what he is in himself Secondly By shewing what benefits Believers have by him First He shews what the Lord Jesus Christ is in himself in ver 4 To whom coming as to a living stone disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious He is a living stone a stone that hath life in himself and a stone that gives life unto others For he that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life 1 John 5.12 And not only a living stone but he is chosen of God and very precious the Pearl of the Gospel that precious only excellent one in comparison of whom all the Kingdoms of the World are but as a heap of dung But then as the Apostle commends him for what he is in himself so he commends Jesus Christ by what he hath done for all those that believe in him In the 5th ver Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual House an holy Priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ This invaluable benefit you shall have by him you shall not only be justified by him but you shall be sanctified you shall be made a holy Priesthood and all your services shall be made acceptable through him To confirm this weighty Truth the Apostle produces a Testimony out of the Prophet Isaiah Isa 28.16 Therefore saith the Lord God Behold I lay in Sion for a Foundation a stone a tryed stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation he that believeth shall not make haste Having thus confirmed this Doctrine he makes Application of it in this Verse and this Application is by way of Comfort to Believers and discomfort to those that believe not First It is a Doctrine that affords a great deal of comfort to Believers For says he to you that believe Jesus Christ is precious But it administers a great deal of discomfort to Unbelievers To them that are disobedient to them that hearken not to the voice of Christ for says the Apostle Though this Christ be despised by them yet he shall be infinitely advanced he is become the Head the Corner-stone and they notwithstanding their despising of him shall be everlastingly ruined for he will be to them a stumbling-stone and a rock of offence even to them which stumble at the Word being disobedient This is the Connexion or Context of these words with the former It is the first Branch of the Text here that I principally aim at in these words To you therefore that believe he is precious The words therefore hath reference unto the fore-going verse wherein the Apostle tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ is such a Foundation-stone such a Corner-stone such a rock of Salvation that whosoever believes in him shall not be confounded shall not be condemned For there is no condemnation to them that have a part and interest in him Rom. 8.1 Therefore saith the Apostle Certainly to you he must needs be
I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me In a word They know that Jesus Christ is their Rock their Refuge their Redeemer their Peace their Portion their All and therefore they see the infinite need they have of him and that without him they are nothing they can do nothing they are worse than nothing therefore they prize him Here is one Reason why Jesus Christ is so precious to true Believers because they see the infinite need they have of him Secondly Jesus Christ is thus precious to true Believers because they see an invaluable and unconceivable beauty in him It is true indeed to Unbelievers Jesus Christ hath no beauty in him that they should desire him as it is Isa 53.2 For be shall grow up before him as a tender Plant and as a root out of a dry ground he hath no form nor comeliness and when we shall see him there is no beauty that we should desire him A carnal earthly minded man he says concerning Christ as they did in the place before named Cant. 5.9 What is thy Beloved more than another Beloved What is there of so much beauty in Christ that we should either eye him observe him prize him or seek him or look after him Acts 4.11 This is the Stone which was set at nought by you builders Jesus Christ is as a thing of nothing in an Unbelievers eye such a one makes no more reckoning of him with reverence be it spoken than the dirt under foot Whereas Faith you must know hath an Eagles eye it can see things afar off it sees a great deal of beauty in the Lord Jesus Christ though in respect of any of these outward accommodations there is no beauty at all in him yet discerning things with a Spiritual eye a Believer sees Christ afar off as it is said of Abraham John 8.56 Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad There was an eye of Faith in Abraham He saw my day and rejoyced Hence it is that believing in Christ is sometimes expressed by this Phrase of seeing Christ Act. 22.14 Ananias speaking to Paul said The God of our Fathers hath chosen thee that thou shouldst know his will and see that just one and shouldst hear the voice of his mouth See him that is that thou shouldst believe in him Faith therefore sees Christ sees him afar off sees him though cloathed with our flesh with our infirmities Faith looks upon Jesus Christ and does see him evidently crucified as the Apostle speaks Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the Truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth crucified among you Nay Faith sees a great deal of beauty in his sufferings how much more in his glory for Example Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt Heb. 11.26 Why for he had respect unto the recompence of reward he had the quick-sighted eye of Faith You read in Mark 2 when the Wise men came from the East to Jerusalem to enquire after him that was born King of the Jews that is after Jesus Christ when they came to enquire of him they first came to Jerusalem and they saw Herod it may be arrayed in all his glorious Robes but we do not read that they fell down and worshipped Herod then they came to Bethlehem where they saw the Babe Jesus wrapt in Swadling-cloaths in a poor Garb it may be little better than rags yet they fall down and worship him Now what is the reason that they did not worship a magnificent glorious Herod in all his Robes but they worship a poor contemptible Babe in Swadling-cloaths surely this was because they had a spiritual eye of Faith they looked on Christ with an eye of Faith therefore in his Infancy they saw greatness in his meanness they saw Majesty and more Glory in Christ in his Rags than in Herod in his Robes Thirdly Christ is thus precious to true Believers because they do not only see the need they have of him and a great deal of beauty in him but they do receive very rich and invaluable benefits by him for the present First They receive many temporal mercies by him all their temporal comforts come streaming to them in the blood of Jesus Christ Christ is the Heir of all things and all things are Believers by Christ All things are yours says the Apostle so far as you are Christs 1 Cor. 3.22 Secondly As they receive temporal mercies so they receive many spiritual Priviledges Graces and comforts by him They receive spiritual Priviledges as Justification Sanctification and Adoption First Justification Oh what a Priviledg is this that through Jesus Christ God should look upon Believers not as Sinners but as Saints for God to say of them Thou art all fair my Beloved there is no spot in thee in respect of Justification there is no spot in thee though their Sanctification be imperfect Cant. 4.7 Believers have the blood of Jesus Christ to take away all their guilt not only the guilt contracted in their unregenerate estate but the guilt contracted in the estate of grace Alas says a Believer when I have done a Duty used a comfort filled my Relations in the best manner I can what would become of me if I had not a Saviour a Mediator to take away the iniquity of my holy Offerings But now this is a priviledg better worth than the Gold of Ophir nay better worth than the whole World namely by Jesus Christ and believing in him We are justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the Law of Moses Act. 13.39 Secondly And as they receive the priviledg of Justification so Believers receive the priviledg of Sanctification by him for Christ is not only made to us Wisdom by his Word and Righteousness by his Merit but Sanctification also by his Spirit 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ is made not only a pattern of holiness to us but the principle of holiness Believers are strong in his Strength and wise by his Wisdom and holy by his Holiness and meek by his Meekness they have the Image of Jesus Christ stampt upon their Souls they know him in some measure in the power of his death killing and crucifying the old man together with the affections and lusts thereof they know him in the power of his Resurrection raising them up to a holy and Heavenly Conversation Thus I say they receive the priviledg of Sanctification by Jesus Christ Thirdly And then they receive the Priviledg of Adoption too as he is the Natural Son of God Believers being united to him they are partakers of his Son-ship they are made the Sons and Daughters of God by Adoption And I will be a Father to you and you shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6. ult Secondly And so Believers receive spiritual grace from him Look as the Oyl that was
the Holy Ghost may have but it is that Knowledg that is darted into the Soul by the Holy Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.9 10 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The Apostle speaks it of the Kingdom of Grace as well as of the Kingdom of Glory Man doth not know the work of the Spirit of Grace upon the heart but saith he in the words following God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God And it is the Spirit of God that is said to guide us into all truth John 16.13 That is the first thing in the Description it is a saving work of the Spirit of God Secondly It is a Knowledg whereby a Believer hath received satisfying light First A Believer hath received light The truth is none doth know the Truth aright but he that believes it therefore believing and knowing the Truth are joyned together 1 Tim. 4.3 Forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the Truth Thirdly I note this whereby a Believer receiving satisfying light But what is that light may be some of you will say that may be called satisfying light I answer and shall give you an account of it in these five particulars First That is a satisfying Light that is joyned with a powerful Conviction upon the Conscience when the Spirit of God doth eonvince us of sin and of Righteousness and Judgment John 16.8 That is a satisfying Light when the Spirit of God breaks in upon the Soul with such an irresistible Light that a man cannot gainsay it or withstand it for example When the Sun is risen in the morning a man then knows it is day and if a thousand should say to the contrary he would say I know it is day Such is the light of the Spirit of God it is an irresistible light it breaks in upon the heart with that power that the heart cannot gainsay it Secondly That is a satisfying Light which settles and stablisheth a man in the present Truth that he will not be removed from it When a man is rooted in the Faith setled and stablished in Jesus Christ then he hath received a satisfying Light Thirdly That is a fatisfying Light when a man can act Faith upon that light he hath received and make bold adventures for the Truth that he hath embraced when he can act Faith upon it so did those three Worthies in Daniel 3.17 they had received such satisfying Light that God was the true God and his Worship the true Worship that they ventured a Furnace for it say they If it be so Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery Furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King but if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy gods nor worship thy Golden Image which thou hast set up Fourthly That is a satisfying Light which will enable a man to discern between Truth and falsehood though Errour be masked with never such fair pretences yet notwithstanding a man shall be able to discover that Errour and abhor it and though Truth be eclipsed with never so many false Glosses and Interpretations and never so much opposed yet a man can discern it and close with it and cleave to it Fifthly This is a satisfying Light that will enable a man to reconcile some seeming differences that are in the Scriptures Let me give you an instance in one or two those two places compared together Gen. 6.6 And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the Earth and it grieved him at his heart but in Numb 23.19 it is said God is not as man that he should lye neither the Son of man that he should repent Now a man that hath this satisfying Light he knows how to reconcile these two places thus Repentance in God is not a change of his Will but of his Work God is said to repent after the manner of men because he doth those things that man doth when he repents Let me give you another instance Saint Paul tells us Rom. 3.28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by Faith without the deeds of the Law But Saint James he tells the quite contrary James 2.25 Ye see then how by Works a man is justified and not by Faith only Now a man that hath satisfying Light he reconciles these two thus Saint Paul he speaks of justification before God and Saint James he speaks of Justification before men We are justified before God by Faith only we are justified before men by works Again they may be reconciled thus Faith doth justifie our Persons but good works doth justifie our Faith Good works are no part of our Justification but only a proof of our Justification Lastly In the Description I say this A Believer having received a satisfying Light gives up his understanding resolvedly to those Truths that are revealed to him But you will say When doth a man give up his understanding resolvedly to those Truths revealed to him I will tell you First When he is resolved to part with every sin that the Word of God disallows and condemns though it be as dear to him as his right hand or his right eye and when he can practice every Duty that the Word of God commands though it be never so difficult As for Example the duty of Mortification and Self-denyal and contempt of the World when he can purifie his heart by believing and obeying the Truth 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing you have purified your Souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit And it is said of many of the Priests that they were obedient to the Faith Acts 6.7 And St. Paul said Acts 26.19 that he was not disobedient to the Heavenly Vision Secondly A man gives up his understanding resolvedly to the truth when he can plead for the truth and not plead against it Saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.8 For we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth Doctor Taylor the Martyr in Queen Maries days he laid down his life for this truth That it was lawful for Ministers to marry I know said he that it is not a fundamental truth but because I know it is the truth of God rather than I will part with any truth I will part with my life So then when a man can thus resolvedly give up his understanding to the truth that he will part with his life rather than part with the truth then hath he attained to this certainty of Knowledg indeed And thus you see the Description of it and have the Point opened now let me make Application of it Vse 1. If this be a certain truth That they that do the Will of God shall not only know more of Gods
words Any of you seem to come short of it that is short of that Eternal Rest that is promised In the first the serious Premonition or forewarning you have these two particulars First the occasion of this Premonition in this word Therefore Now this word therefore hath reference to something that went before in the foregoing Chapter the Apostle had told us of a generation of sinners in the Wilderness that had provoked the Lord to anger for forty years together insomuch that the Lord sware that they should not enter into his Rest and so it came to pass for of six hundred thousand that came out of Egypt there were but two namely Caleb and Joshua that entred into the Land of Canaan I say not above two of those that were above twenty years old that entred into the Land of Canaan but their carcasses fell in the Wilderness the Wilderness was their grave therefore saith he because of this dreadful example of Gods wrath upon these stubborn Israelites Let us fear it is as if he should say let their wo be our warning their destruction should be our instruction from hence you may take this point of Doctrine The examples of Gods wrath upon other sinnners should make us very careful to shun their sins And then secondly You have the Premonition it self in these words Let us therefore fear and from thence you may take this Observation The life of a Christian must be a life of fear The whole course of a Christians life must be a course of godly and watchful fear And then you have the ground or foundation of this Premonition in these words Lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest wherein you have three particulars 1. That there is a heavenly Rest an eternal Rest prepared this the Apostle takes for granted He speaks here of entring into this Rest therefore there is a Rest prepared from whence you may take this Observation That there is a Rest prepared in Heaven for Gods people 2. This Rest is not only prepared but it is also promised Observe here saith the Apostle Lest a promise being left us of entring into his Rest from hence you may observe That the Rest prepared in Heaven for Gods People is not only prepared but also promised to all them that do believe 3. Take notice This Rest though it be prepared and promised may yet be left and forsaken by those to whom the promise is tendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for so the word here in the original signifies lest the promise be forsaken I know our translation reads the word thus lest a promise being left us as if so be this were the sense of it lest a promise being given us lest a promise being left us as a Legacy lest a promise being bestowed upon us but the word Vs is not in the Original nor in the old Translation as a late Learned Eminent Writer in his Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews observes Dr. Gouge the old Translation seems to come nearest the sense which reads it thus Lest by forsaking the promise we be deprived of that rest so that although the promise be made though the promise of entring into rest be tendered to many yet notwithstanding this Promise may be left may be forsaken the words being taken in this sense you may observe this Proposition or Doctrine from them Though God be infinitely gracious in making a promise of eternal Rest yet many there are that do shamefully forsake this Promise The third and last branch of the Text is the dreadful danger discovered in case this Premonition be neglected that is in these words Lest any of you should seem to come short of it you have three particulars First The Persons that must avoid this dreadful danger in these words Any of you It is very observable here how jealous the Apostle is of these Hebrews lest any of them should prove Apostates and Backsliders and fall off from their profession and principles and so forsake the Promise and by forsaking the Promise should come short of eternal Rest from whence you may take this Observation or point of Doctrine In matters of soul-concernment Christians should be very jealous not only of themselves but of others also Secondly Observe the manner or extent of avoiding this dreadful danger in this phrase seem lest any seem to come short of it it is as if the Apostle should say It is not enough for you to abstain from Apostacy and Back-sliding which will cause your coming short of Heaven but you must avoid the very seeming and appearance of it it is not enough that you do not utterly fall away but you must likewise take heed that you give no occasion to others to think that you are fallen away or like to fall away from whence you may observe this Doctrine That it is not enough for Christians to abstain from evil but they must also abstain from the appearance of evil and avoid the occasions of danger But I come to the third and last particular in the last branch of the Text which is indeed the most awakening and soul-shaking truth that you meet with in the whole Book of God that is the unconceivable damage or unvaluable loss that will fall upon them that do neglect the Apostles Premonition here that is that the shall come short of eternal life lest any of you saith he should seem to come short of it or lest any of you should be deprived of that eternal Rest that is prepared for and promised to all those that do believe so then in this last particular in the last branch of the Text there is something implyed and something expressed that which is implyed is this That it is possible for those that do profess the truth to come short of heaven or else the Apostle would not have set down this Premonition here and then that which is exprest is this That it is a most unvaluable and unconceivable loss to come short of Heaven so then from hence there are these two points of Doctrine I shall commend to you and truly they are two very startling and awakening Truths as by Gods assistance you shall hear in the prosecution of them And the first Doctrine is this Doct. 1. That it is possible for many that profess the truth and are confident that they are in a state of grace and seem to come very near to Heaven yet for all that to come short of Heaven Doct. 2. To come short of Heaven or that eternal happiness which is prepared for the Saints in light is a most dreadful unconceivable unvaluable irrecoverable loss a loss that should be trembled at by all sorts of persons whatsoever I begin with the first Doctrine That it is possible for many that do profess the truth or true Religion and are confident that they do belong to God and are in a state of Grace and do seem to come very near to Heaven yet for all
Thirdly May a man come near to Heaven and yet come short of it O then take heed of these two sins Slothfulness and Apostacy Take heed of Slothfulness Be not slothful in business but fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force Matth. 11.12 Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure set to the work with all your might put your whole strength to the work shake off all drowsiness and dulness And then take heed of Apotacy this makes many that come near to Heaven to come short of Heaven because they do not hold out to the end He that endures to the 〈◊〉 shall be saved blessed are they who notwithstanding all difficulties and discouragements that they meet with in Heavens way are resolved to hold out to the end and in the end Thus I have dispatcht the first Doctrine That it is possible for many that profess the Truth and are confident that they are in a State of Grace and seem to come near to Heaven and yet for all that to come short of Heaven Now I come to the second Doctrine in this last Branch of my Text from these words Come short of it And the Doctrine is this To come short of eternal Rest is such an unvaluable and unconceivable and irrecover able loss that it is to be trembled at by all sorts of persons whatsoever It is a loss to be trembled at by all those that have not quite lost their sense and feeling For the confirmation of this truth there are these two Queries I shall speak to First What it is to come short of this eternal Rest Secondly How it may appear that this coming short of Heaven is such an unvaluable irrecoverable and unconceivable loss For the first What it is to come short of this eternal rest What is it Oh! God grant that neither you nor I nor any soul here present may ever experimentally know what it is to come short of Gods eternal rest let me shew you what it is that you may avoid this dreadful danger The Original word here used is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and it signifies to come too late just as those five foolish Virgins that had no oyl in their Lamps they came and knockt Lord Lord said they open to us but the door of Mercy was shut they came too late Matth. 25.10 11. It signifies likewise to fail of that which a man expects Heb. 12.15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God Or it signifies this for a man to miss the Gole or Prize that he runs for and so it is a Metaphor from runners in a Race if they be heavy or lumpish or careless they lose the Prize they miss the Gole So Christians that are secure and careless and slothful and mind every thing more than that one thing that is necessary they come too late they fail of Grace and Glory they miss the Gole they lose the Prize they are deprived of that eternal happiness they expected this is to come short of this eternal Rest Second It may be demanded How will it appear that this coming short of eternal Rest is such an unvaluable unconceivable and irrevocable loss that it is to be trembled at I answer It will appear by these three reasons They that come short of Heaven they lose 1. The Presence Of God in eternal happiness They that come short of Heaven they lose 2. The Favour Of God in eternal happiness They that come short of Heaven they lose 3. The Fruition Of God in eternal happiness First They that come short of this Eternal Rest they lose the presence of God how great how unconceivably great this loss is it passeth my skill to tell you But conceive it thus David tells us in Psalm 16. ult In his presence is fulness of joy and at his right hand are pleasures for evermore Now if in the presence of God be the fulness of joy then certainly in the want of his presence is the fulness of misery If at his right hand are pleasures for evermore then certainly at his left hand is wo and misery and calamity for evermore even such misery as the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of Ezek. 2. ult A roll of a book was written within and without lamentations and mourning and wo And it stands with reason it should be so for if God be light then a separation from God must needs be darkness If God be life then a separation from God must needs be death If God be the fountain of Bliss then the separation from him must needs be the possession of all misery and wo and calamity and distress that can possibly be expressed or conceived This punishment of loss in the opinion of all Divines doth incomparably torment the soul more than all the punishment and tortures and torments of Hell-fire Nay the loss of that heavenly and unconceivable Joy the loss of one hours communion with the crowned Saints in glory the loss of one glimpse of the glorified Body of Jesus Christ is a greater and far more and considerable loss than the loss of all the Kingdoms of the World besides I know that carnal men have very carnal conceits of Heaven and happiness because they look usually upon heaven and spiritual things with carnal eyes but if they did but look upon them with such an eye as Moses did Heb. 11.27 By the eye of Faith he saw him that was invisible if they would not look upon things that are seen but upon things that are not seen For the things that arn seen are themporal but the things that are not seen are spiritual and eternal as saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.18 If they could but look upon them with spiritual eyes then they would acknowledg that a thousand thousand rendings of the body from the soul are far less than one rending of the soul from God It was the speech of one Nicostratus a curious Painter to one that admired at him for looking so wishfully upon a curious Picture Oh said he if thou hadst but my eyes thou wouldst admire what I admire so may I say to men that will not now believe that the loss of Gods presence is such a loss hadst thou but spiritual eyes thou wouldst acknowledg the truth of what I now say That the loss of Gods presence is such a loss as can never never be sufficiently bewailed no not with tears of blood It was the speech of Chrysostom and it was a savoury speech I had rather endure a thousand Hells than to hear that one dreadful sentence Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And suitable to this was the speech of Augustine I could be contented to endure the torments of Hell for a while so I might but see the glorified body of Jesus Christ in Heaven for you know what our Saviour saith Father I will that they also whom thou
what it is to lye under the burden of Gods wrath when Mountains and Milstones of wrath are thrown upon the soul and the Lord will so far enable the soul that it shall be bearing that wrath and bearing and bearing it to all Eternity 3. Take in this aggravation also This loss it is irrecoverable once lost and ever lost Heaven once lost will never never be recovered after as many millions of years as there are drops in the Ocean that loss will still be bewailed and bewailed and bewailed to all Eternity If you put all these together I believe you will assent to me now and acknowledg the truth of this point That to come short of Heaven is such an unvaluable and unconceivable and irrecoverable loss that it is to be trembled at by all sorts of persons whatsoever For the use of this point First By way of Information Secondly By way of Exhortation First By way of Information It shews us the extream folly and madness of all impenitent Sinners who will venture the loss of God and the favour of God the loss of Christ and the presence of Christ the loss of heaven and happiness and the loss of their own souls rather than they will lose the pleasures of sin which are but for a season it is such a madness that heaven and earth may stand amazed at it Consider and befool your selves O you carnal and careless ones if you have not sinned away your very sense and reason also Consider blush and be ashamed and be confounded in the presence of the Lord this day you that never yet set your faces towards Heaven you that never made it your business to look out for a Christ you that never shed a penitential tear from a broken heart you that cannot abide to think of Humiliation and Repentance you that never sought for eternal happiness by patient continuance in well-doing you that know not what it is to mortifie a lust you that know not what it is to deny your own hearts any thing to cross your own wills in any thing you that are so far from working out your own salvation with fear and trembling that you work out your own damnation without fear and trembling without horror and astonishment that never once think of it that never once lay to heart this loss this coming short I cannot if I had the tongue of men and Angels I were not able to express the evil of coming short of eternal happiness you can now sell Glory for vanity Heaven for Earth the pleasures that are at the right hand of God for the pleasures of sin that are but for a season But the time will come when with heart-rending complaints you will tear off your own hair and rend your own hearts in pieces and cry out O fools beastly fools sensless sots that we were to bereave our selves of eternal happiness for a little momentany pleasures for the satisfaction of a base lust O what Bedlams O what humane beasts were we that would deprive our selves of mansions in the New Jerusalem for a few bruitish carnal sensual delights O what mad-men were we that would venture the loss of an eternal habitation in that place where to be and to be most happy is all one rather than we would cross our own carnal and corrupt wills in any thing we would fulfil the flesh and the mind O how will you then exceedingly befool your selves It is storied of Lysimachus a King being pursued by his Enemies and being very thirsty he sold his Kingdom for a draught of drink but afterward he cryed out Alas What a bargain have I made to sell my Kingdom for a draught of drink O this even this is the condition of all you that sell Heaven for Earth that sell Pearls for Pebles that sell your immortal Souls that sell the hopes of eternal happiness for the satisfaction of a base lust O how will you cry out What a Bedlambeast have I been that have run such a hazzard the loss of such a Crown an incorruptible Crown such a Crown of eternal Glory O what a beast have I been that have ventured the loss of Heaven and the favour of God and the presence of God and the loss of my own Soul and that for nothing for toys and trifles for dross and trash You can now complain of the Service of God and say It is an unprofitable Service What profit is it to wait upon the Lord what profit is it that we kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts Mal. 3.14 But a time will come when you will wish that a thousand years had been spent in fasting and ten thousand thousand years had been spent in the strictest Exercise of Religion rather than you should have come short of that eternal happiness you now are ready to say when the Ministers press you to pray in your Families and catechise your Families and read the Scriptures in your Families and to drive a Trade for Heaven when we press you to these things you are ready to say We have no leisure alas we cannot look after these things we have no time to seek heaven and happiness No time Well well you that can find no time to look after those things that are of infinite concernment you that have no time to seek for Heaven you will have time enough to bewail the loss of Heaven when a thousand years are gone and ten thousand years are gone and a thousand thousand thousand years are gone in bewailing your loss bewailing this unconceivable damage and detriment when as many millions of years are gone as there are drops of water in the Ocean there will be time enough to bewail it to all eternity O the folly and madness of all those that will live in sin and lye in sin and for the pleasures of sin will venture the loss of those pleasures that are at the right hand of God for evermore it is such madness as cannot be expressed or conceived That is one Use Secondly By way of Exhortation And I have two Exhortations to tender to you if God would give you but hearts to hearken and the Lord of his infinite mercy bow and incline your hearts to consider what I say First If the coming short of this eternal Rest be such an unconceivable loss Then foresee this danger and tremble at it tremble at the apprehension of it if you be flesh and blood tremble at it Think with your selves certainly there will come a day when a final Sentence must pass upon my soul either a sentence of Absolution or a sentence of Condemnation if the sentence of Condemnation Depart from me thou cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25.41 If that should be the final Sentence that should pass upon me what would become of me As God speaks to the unrighteous Judg Isa 10.3 And what will you do in the day of visitation and
so Tit. 1.9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and convince gainsayers holding fast the faithful word as Adversasaries pluck one way so do you pluck another way striving earnestly for the faith of the Gospel So Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering for he is faithful that promised Prov. 4.13 Take fast hold of instruction let her not go keep her for she is thy life Prov. 23.23 Buy the truth and sell it not buy it at any rate sell it at no rate thus you see this Duty commanded see it commended in one Example most remarkable and imitable because it was in the purest times the Primitive-time of the Church Acts 2.42 And they continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers For the better explication of this Point it may be demanded 1. How must Christians hold fast the truth they have received 2. Why must Christians hold fast the truth they have received 1. How must Christians hold fast the truth they ave received I answer They must hold it fast these three ways In their Memories Affections Practice and Conversations 1. They must hold fast the truth in their Memories Heb. 2.1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip We should learn of the blessed Virgin Mary of whom it is said That she kept all these things and pondered them in her heart Luke 2.19 It is not the great getter but the great saver that becomes the rich man it is not the hearing but the keeping of Truths that will make us spiritually Rich. 2. We must hold fast the truth in our Affections we must cleave to the truth in love and liking thus did David Psal 119.31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies O Lord put me not to shame and in ver 20 My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy Judgments at all time O how love I thy Law it is my meditation all the day Ver. 97 and ver 167 of the same Psalm My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly On the contrary when men have not a sincere love to the Truth they lose both the Truth and their own Souls too 2 Thess 2.10 11 Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved and for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye that they all might be damned who believe not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness This is the case of many Papists and Atheists at this day they are drawn away to believe lyes lying miracles lying doctrines when God sees men careless and remiss in their love to the Truth he says to such careless wretches Take him Jesuit take him Satan bind him and blind him and lead him to destruction Hence are all those frequent Exhortations which are fcattered up and down in the Scripture to love Wisdom Understanding and Instruction Prov. 3.3 My son forget not my Law but let thine heart keep my Commandments let not mercy and truth forsake thee bind them about thy neck write them upon the table of thine heart Prov. 4.6 Forsake not wisdom and she shall preserve thee love her and she shall keep thee Prov. 7.4 Say unto Wisdom thou art my sister and call Vnderstanding thy kinswoman What a man loves that he will keep carefully if he loves a Jewel he will be careful to preserve it if he loves a Picture he will be careful not to deface it a man will part with that last which he loves best 3. Hold fast the Truth not only in Memory and Affection but likewise hold fast the truth in Practice and Conversation you should yield conscionable subjection to every known Truth without holding any one part of the Truth in unrighteousness the more a man practiseth what he knows the more he shall know what to practice John 7.17 If any man will do his Will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self True knowledg is the mother of Obedience but obedience is thenurse of Knowledg when a Scholar hath taken out one Lesson well it is an encouragement to a Master to teach him another certainly if we would practice more we should know more The secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Psal 25.14 Look as the Widows oyl by laying it out was encreased so knowledg laid out in practice is put forth to advantage therefore put forth every known truth into practice This is the way to hold fast the Truth you have received The second Quaery by way of Explication is this But why must Christians hold fast the truth they have received with Constaney and Perseverance The Reasons are these First Because the Truth hath many Enemies to oppose it corrupt it gainsay it malign it deface it and disgrace it though Truth cannot be ashamed yet it is many times blamed Jesus Christ himself had not more Enemies upon Earth than his Truth hath at this day yea our blessed Saviour had the more Enemies because he did bear witness to the Truth John 8.40 But now you seek to kill me a man that hath told you the truth which I have heard of God this did not Abraham That was the great quarrel they had against our Saviour because he told them the truth Now as Jesus Christ the Way the Truth and the Life was opposed so will his Truth be opposed to the end of the World First The Devil is a grand Enemy to the Truth that Prince of darkness would not willingly have one Lamp of the Sanctuary unblown out the most of his rage is against the faithful Ministers of the Gospel who hold forth the word of Truth to Gods people Secondly Ignorant Unbelieving Atheistical wretches that count Preaching foolishness that will be ready to undervalue it Thirdly Subtile and undermining Priests and Jesuits those Frogs out of the bottomless pit they will endeavour to corrupt it Fourthly Scandalous Protestants which bring not forth fruit these will cast an aspersion and scandal upon the Truth therefore because of these Enemies Christians should hold forth the truth they have received That 's the first Reason Secondly The second reason is this Truth is worth the holding fast because we have many blessed priviledges by it as for Example 1. The truth of the Gospel is our Cap of Maintenance it is the Charter of our Priviledges it is the evidence of our everlasting Inheritance Thy Testimonies have I claimed for my heritage saith David And will you not keep your evidences for a good Inheritance 2. Here is another Priviledg If you will keep the Truth you may be sure the Truth will keep you as we say of a Tradesman If he will
those glorious hopes that are laid up for the Saints in Light Fourthly Be contented to endure some hardship in the way Heaven will make amends for all all the costs discouragements and difficulties that you meet with in the pursuit of your hopes will be abundantly recompenced by one hours fruition of that eternal happiness Secondly If you would not despise or undervalue that heavenly Inheritance learn to live by Faith and not by sight and sense if you live by sight and sense you will look on the things that are seen and not on the things that are not seen the things that are seen are temporal but the things that are not seen are eternal 2 Cor. 4.18 If you live by Faith you will fetch your comforts from Christ more than from any thing in the Creature Thirdly If you would not despise this pleasant Land then beg of Jesus Christ that he would draw your Souls that you may run after him Quicken me with thy quickning-grace for thy Name sake Lord bestow thy quickning-grace upon me that I may mind the business of Eternity seriously Lord help me to set about the work vigorously that I may not trifle with thee in matters that are of infinite Concernment I remember the speech of a Martyr a good woman at that time when profession of the Gospel was enough to bring to the stake says she I hear there are Crowns and Kingdoms to be disposed of this day here take my child I will put in for one Crown for one Kingdom Oh that every one of us had hearts to do as she did let us be contented to suffer hardship for a while that we may enjoy the pleasant Land for ever and ever So much for the first Branch of the Text that is the horrible ingratitude of this people They despised the pleasant Land The ground of that ingratitude you have in the next words of the Text And believed not his Word But so much for this time PSAL. CVI. 24. And believed not his Word I Have spoken to this Text in one Sermon already as you may remember in it I took notice of two Branches First Israels horrible ingratitude in these words They despised the pleasant Land and that I finished last day Now I come to the second Branch of the Text that is the ground of their ingratitude in these words They believed not his Word What word They believed not the Promise that God had made unto them that he would bestow the Land of Canaan upon them nay God did not only promise it but he sware unto Abraham Isaac and Jacob Gen. 50.24 And Joseph said unto his Brethren I die and God will surely visit you and bring you out of this Land to the Land which he sware to Abraham to Isaac and Jacob. But because the Spies forsooth came and told them Oh there are walled Cities and Giants and Anakims to fight with and it is impossible for you to get possession of the Land therefore they believed the Spies but they would not believe God they believed the report of those that told them of the Giants but they would not believe Gods Report they would not believe Gods Promise So the Doctrine I shall commend to you from this second Branch of the Text is this Doct. One main Reason why men do undervalue the Heavenly Canaan and so come short of it is their Vnbelief Look as it was with the Children of Israel here spoken of in the Text the sin that made them despise and undervalue the Land of Canaan and so were debar'd and shut out of the Land of Canaan was their Unbelief as the Apostle shews expresly Heb. 3. ult So we see they could not enter in because of unbelief So here One main reason why men undervalue the Heavenly Canaan and so come short or are deprived of the Heavenly Canaan it is their Unbelief Men believe lyes but they will not believe the Truth they believe the Devil who is a lyar and tells them they may come to Heaven with a wet-finger and therefore they may live as they list but they will not believe the Lord Jesus Christ that tells them Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth to life and few there be that find it Matth. 7.14 They believe the father of lyes but they will not believe him that is the God of Truth who says Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you shall seek to enter in but shall not be able Luke 13.24 They believe the report of Satan but they will not believe the report of the word of God which tells us expresly 1 Pet. 4.18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and sinners appear They will not believe that Doctrine which you may remember proved out of Heb. 4.1 Let us therefore fear lest a promise being left us of entring into his rest any of you should seem to come short of it Where I shewed you that the life of a Christian is a life of fear and that in matters of Soul-concernment Christians should not only be very jealous of themselves but of others also I also shewed you that it is possible for many that are professors of the Truth or true Religion to come short of Heaven and that it is possible for many that are confident that they are in a state of grace to come short of Heaven and that it is possible for many to come very near to Heaven and yet to come short of Heaven But men will not believe these Truths now their Unbelief is the cause why they slight Heaven and shall be deprived of Heaven For the better Explication of this Doctrine there are two things I shall open to you First What this Unbelief is that makes men so undervalue the Heavenly Canaan Secondly Why this Unbelief is such a great and grievous sin so dangerous and destructive that it deprives men of that Heavenly Canaan First What this Unbelief is that makes men slight the Heavenly Canaan For answer to this you must know there is a twofold Unbelief There is a Negative And There is a Positive Unbelief First There is a Negative Unbelief and that is the sin of Pagans and Heathens that never heard of God nor of the Gospel of Jesus Christ they believe not because they know not they know not God Rom. 10.14 How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard This is the sin of Pagans this ignorance it excuses in part though not in whole their sin is not so great by far as the sin of those that do profess the Gospel yet their Negative unbelief is a sin because Gods Commandment is That we should believe on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ 1 John 3.23 And this is his commandment that we believe in the Name of his Son Jesus Christ But this is the Negative unbelief this concerns not us but it concerns those that know not God Secondly There
is a Positive Unbelief and this is when men are ready to distrust Gods Power and his Providence and his Promises or when we do not so fiducially rest upon them as to obey the Gospel This is a Positive unbelief this is the sin which is so dangerous Now you must know this Positive Unbelief is twofold First Temporary Secondly Total or Final First There is a Temporary unbelief and this is that which may befall even Gods own Elect they may be under unbelief for a while True it is possible for an Elect Child of God to be under an act of unbelief though he cannot be brought into a state of unbelief for you must distinguish between these two between a state of unbelief and an act of unbelief A Child of God may be under an act of unbelief so you know was Godly Zachariah Elizabeth's husband he was under an act of unbelief And behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou believedst not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season Luke 1.20 And Thomas one of the twelve Apostles he was under an act of unbelief when he said Vnless I shall see in his hands the print of the Nails and put my finger into the print of the Nails and thrust my hand into his fide I will not believe Joh. 20.25 So were all the rest of the Apostles under an act of unbelief for a while therefore our Saviour when he was risen again he upbraided them the Text says with their unbelief Mark 16.14 After he appeared to the Eleven as they sate at meat and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen This is a Temporary Unbelief Secondly There is a Total or Final unbelief and that is the sin of those that live in a state of impenitency and abide in that condition those that abide in their unbelief until the wrath of God abides upon them You see what this unbelief is a distrusting of Gods Power and Providences and Promises and that not for a time which may be the condition of a Child of God but when it is a Total and Final unbelief That 's the first thing for Explication Secondly By way of Explication it may be demanded Why is this such a dangerous and destructive sin that it does debar men of this Heavenly Canaan I shall give you these three Reasons of it First Because you must know it is a sin that robs God of his Glory Look as by believing we do most of all honour God for by this we set to our Seal that he is true John 3.33 He that hath received his Testimony hath set to his Seal that God is true By believing we give him the honour of his Truth and Faithfulness and Mercy and Goodness and Power Thus Abraham by believing gave glory to God in Rom. 4.20 He staggered not at the Promise of God through unbelief but was strong in faith giving glory to God So on the contrary by unbelief we dishonour him in a high degree nay in the highest degree that can be named because we make him a Liar 1 John 5.10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself he that believeth not God hath made him a Liar because he believeth not the Record that God gave him of his Son Now what greater reproach or dishonour can be cast upon a man of worth than to give him the lye Unbelief therefore is a bold sin it steps into Gods Cabinet as I may say and it robs him of the choicest Jewel that he hath namely his Glory which he hath said He will not give to another Isa 42.8 I am the Lord that is my Name and my Glory will I not give to another neither my praise to the graven Images The glory of God it is nothing else but the reputation that God hath in the World Take away Gods glory and the reputation that he hath among the Sons of men then with reverence be it spoken he is little worth in the eyes of men Now Unbelief is that that robs God of his Glory Secondly Unbelief is such a dangerous destructive sin because it is the first sin that ever was in the World As it is the mother of all other sins so it was the first sin whereby the Devil got entrance into the heart of man I know there is a dispute amongst Divines What was the first sin our first Parents were guilty of whether Pride or Unbelief without all doubt it was Unbelief for God told our first Parents expresly Whenever they did eat of the Tree of life they should die the death as sure as they lived they should die but the Devil he goes and tells them You shall not die Now mark they believed the Devil more than they believed God Unbelief therefore was the first sin that ever was committed in the World and as it was the first sin whereby the Devil got entrance into the heart of man so may it be said to be the root and mother of all other sins therefore says the Apostle Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 Look as Faith may be said to be the Mother of all other Graces because Faith lets in Jesus Christ into the Soul and so purifies the heart Act. 15.9 And put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by Faith it applyes the purifying-blood of Jesus Christ So on the other side Unbelief may be said to be the mother of all other sins because it keeps out Christ and keeps out Grace and polutes the heart and defiles it and makes it no better than a Den for Satan to lodg in It is a good observation of an eminent Divine whom for honour sake I mention namely Doctor Sibs Look as the first return of the Soul to God is by Faith so the first departing of the Soul from God is by Vnbelief for from thence comes a departing to other sins and so unbelief being encreased the rent that is made between God and the Soul the estrangement between God and the Soul is still made wider and wider and so the Soul departs further and further and is still departing and departing from one sin to another till at last it comes to hear that fatal and final sentence Matth. 25 Depart thou cursed wretch into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Well therefore may Unbelief be said to be the Mother of all other sins Unbelief and Apostacy are very near akin Unbelief may in some sense be said to be all disobedience The same Greek word that signifies unbelief signifies also disobedience Col. 3.6 For these things sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of unbelief or children of disobedience And well may it be said to be the Mother of disobedience for
what sin is there so gross and grievous that an unbeliever will not run into If a man believe not the threatnings he will practice no good For example if a man do but believe that terrble Scripture Rev. 21.8 But the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death If a man did believe that Scripture durst he be a Coward to betray the Truths of God God speaks of the fearful ones in that sense to be cowardly Christians did he believe this durst he be such an abominable wretch to run into such abominable blasphemies which are not to be named which are belched out against God in these days Durst he be an Idolater a Lyar a Swearer certainly he durst not but he does not believe the Threatnings of God If a Tyrant should threaten any of you with the Rack or Strapado which would break your bones Oh what terror and trembling would take hold of you how would you fall down at his feet and seek his face and favour yet that Tyrant could take away nothing but a poor miserable mortal life But the great God of Heaven he threatens Sinners with the punishment of loss the loss of his presence of his favour of fellowship with him in Glory nay he threatens with the punishment of Sense those unconceivable tortures and torments in Hell for ever to all Eternity and yet Sinners do not tremble at this great God they do not fall down and seek his face and savour What is the reason because they believe not If so be a faithful man that was never yet known to break his word and a man of a great Estate that was able to make good his promise if he should promise any of you an Inheritance of two or three hundred by the year you would believe that man on his word and you would seek to please him you would prize his favour but now the great God of Heaven and Earth that was never yet known to break his Word he tells you of an heavenly Inheritance incorruptible undefiled reserved in Heaven and yet do you not seek to please him or prize his favour or obey him what 's the reason Because you believe not his Word So the truth is unbelief is the Mother of all disobedience That 's the second Reason Thirdly Unbelief is a sin thus dangerous and destructive to the Soul because God hath provided more Antidotes and Remedies against this sin of unbelief than against any other sin to cure this sin of Unbelief First God hath given us his Word which is a most faithful Word Heaven and Earth shall pass away saith our Saviour but my words shall not pass away Matth. 24.35 Secondly God hath given us his Promises Now all his Promises are sure and certain Yea and Amen God is faithful and will make good his promises 2 Cor. 1.20 For all the promises of God in him are Yea and in him are Amen unto the glory of God by us Thirdly He hath given us his Covenant and this Covenant is sure and stedfast and ordered in all things an everlasting Covenant sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ and cannot be altered 2 Sam. 23.5 Although my House be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is all my Salvation and all my desire although he make it not to grow Fourthly He hath given us his Oath Ezek. 16.8 Yea I sware unto thee and entred into a Covenant with thee saith the Lord God and thou becamest mine Now an Oath you know is the strongest bond of assurance between man and man And the Apostle speaking of the Word of God and of the Oath of God that they are two immutable things wherein it is impossible for God to lye Heb. 6.17 18 Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of the Promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us As it is impossible for God to die because he is life it self so it is impossible for God to lye because he is Truth it self Fifthly Because he hath given us his Seal also he hath given us his outward Seal which is the Sacrament both the Sacrament of Baptism and the Sacrament of the Lords Supper he hath given us also his inward Seal which is the Witness and Testimony of his own blessed Spirit sealing us up to the day of Redemption Sixthly He hath given us Experiences former Experiences and latter Experiences the Experience of all the Saints that have gone before us Psalm 22.4 Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them So in Psalm 34.6 This poor man cryed speaking of himself when he was in as low a condition as ever he was in scrabling on the ground and feigning himself mad 1 Sam. 21.13 says he This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his trouble Therefore others will be exceeding glad when they hear how graciously he hath dealt with them So in Psalm 9.10 They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee Now God hath given us experiences he hath given us all these Antidotes and Preservatives against unbelief hearken therefore O Unbeliever Well If thou do not believe thou must perish everlastingly God remains faithful and cannot deny himself 2 Tim. 2.13 If we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself But if thou do believe and perish if thou do believe and yet art damned then God hath broken his Word and broken his Promise and broken his Covenants and broken his Oath and broken the Seals of his Covenant which is as impossible as for God to cease to be God You see God hath provided so many Remedies and Antidotes against Unbelief therefore unbelief is such a dangerous and destructive sin It is observable when our Saviour came to his own Countrey that was Nazareth and preach'd to his own Country-men and did Miracles among them they believed not The Text says Mark 6.6 He marvelled because of their unbelief You do not read he marvelled at other sins as Ignorance Hypocrisie Pride Covetousness c. but our Saviour marvelled at their unbelief Oh when men shall sin against the Word of God and the Promise of God and the Covenant of God and the Oath of God and the Seal of God Heaven and Earth may stand amazed at their incredible incredulity Thus you see the Point opened For the Vse and Application of the Point First By way of Examination I beseech you to bring your hearts to the Touch-stone and see whether you be
guilty of this sin of unbelief yea or no. I know every one of you will be ready to plead Not guilty Oh we do believe the Word of God and pity we should live if we did not believe the Word But let me tell you This is an inward secret lurking sin therefore not easily discerned But that you may know whether you be guilty of this sin or no I will give you these four plain undeniable Scripture-Evidences the Lord make you your own Judges in this particular First When men do slight the invitations of Jesus Christ slight the proffers of his Grace it is a token there is unbelief in the bottom for where Faith is once wrought in the heart there is instantly and readily a closing between Christ and the Soul there is a ready closure as there is between the Load-stone and the Iron When Jesus Christ says to a poor sinner Come to me though thou art weary and heavy laden the Believing Soul closes presently with Christ and answers Come thee Lord I I will creep to thee upon my hands and feet When Christ says to it again Do this or Do that the Soul says again O Lord give me strength to do what thou commandest and command what thou wilt But now when you find in you a backwardness to entertain Jesus Christ in your hearts this is a certain and undeniable evidence of your unbelief and is not this your sin Alas alas let Jesus Christ be tendred in the Ministry of the Word from day to day let him be proffered in the sweetest anst softest terms of Perswasions and Exhortations let Ministers use their best Art and Arguments to woo entreat invite and beseech you to accept of the Lord Jesus Christ as he is tendred to you in the Gospel and yet alas we poor Ministers can get no audience I speak of the most of you not of all scarce one of ten scarce one of a hundred will hearken to this Gospel-invitation to come unto Jesus Christ and to submit to him and to take him upon Gospel-terms Our Saviour complains in John 5.40 And ye will not come unto me that ye may have life Though I would give you life a life of Righteousness a life of Grace a life of Glory Yet you will not come to me that is You will not believe in me you will not embrace me you will not submit to me you will not solace your Souls in me Let the World call and you run straight let the flesh call and you obey it straight in the lusts of it nay let Satan call and you readily hearken to him but you will not hearken to me Just so may the Ministers of the Gospel at this day complain Lord Thou sendest us upon this Errand to bring Sinners in to thee thou sendest us upon the same Message Abraham sent his Servant to get a Wife for his Son Isaac Abraham gave his Servant Rings and Jewels and Bracelets to bestow upon her that would be Wife to Isaac So our Lord sends us with Rings and Jewels and Bracelets we have many Motives and Arguments to invite Sinners and to perswade and draw them But Lord we can do no good in our Ministry we tell men of the unsearchable Riches of Jesus Christ and what an unvaluable portion they shall have in him but they will not believe Lord Who hath believed our Report Now when there is a slighting of those invitations and proffers of Gospel-grace it is a certain token of Unbelief And that 's the first Sign or Character of Unbelief Secondly When men undervalue Christs Person and Portion this is a token of unbelief We tell men of the Beauty of Christs Person that he is white and ruddy white in his Innocency and ruddy in his Passion the choisest of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 and that there is nothing in him but brightness and sweetness and beauty and fulness and all sufficiency yet men believe it not They see no beauty in him why they should desire him Isa 53.3 Nay What is thy beloved more than other Beloveds say they Cant. 5.9 So when we tell men of the invaluable portion they shall have by the Lord Jesus Christ those unsearchable Riches the riches of his Merits and the riches of his Spirit and that rich and royal Redemption and that they shall have whatever their hearts can desire we tell them of this they shall have a portion of grace Jesus Christ will give them grace for grace for every grace in himself he will give them part of it by his Wisdom they shall be made wise by his Holiness they shall be made holy he will give them a portion of Glory a Crown of Eternal glory to them that love him but because they see not this Portion this Crown of glory they will not believe it they will not believe further than they see they are all for present pay Demas hath forsaken me having embraced this present world They will have good things for the present as for future expectations they regard them not Where there is an undervaluing of Christs person or portion there is a great deal of unbelief Thirdly When men are secure and fearless it is a certain effect and sign and symptom of unbelief for Faith breeds fear Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being wanned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark to the saving of his house by the which he condemned the World and became heir of the righteousness which is by Faith Faith makes men fear But now when men do nto stand in awe of God of the great God that is within us without us above us about us when we do not walk as in his eye nor walk as in his presence when men do not stand in awe of the Word of God and say with David Psalm 119 161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy Word As if he should say I more stand in awe of thy Word than of all the Princes of the World When men are so over-awed by the Word of God as that they dare not sin against God for the Word of God stands as a Schoolmaster stands with a Rod in his hands over a Boy so that he dare not act any untowardness When men are not over-awed by the Word but they sin and spare not they sin and grieve not this is a token of their unbelief they do not believe God is Omniscient Omnipresent they do not believe his Justice they do not believe his Truth Where men are thus fearless and secure it is a plain token of their exceeding great unbelief Fourthly A fourth Sign of unbelief is this when men profess one thing and practice another thing when their practice crosses their Profession this is a certain token of reigning unbelief Let me give you some instances For example You profess God to be your Soveraign Lord and King and Law-giver and that you have but one Law-giver which is
vanity of it are ready to draw away our hearts to it O then have a care to do Gods will Deut. 6.11 12 When thou hast eaten and art full when thou art in a prosperous condition then beware lest thou forget the Lord which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt c. The Apostle Saint Paul had learnt a great Lesson when he said I have learnt in whatsoever state I am in therewith to be content I know how to be abased and I know how to abound Phil. 4.11 12. There is more danger in prosperity than in adversity as in a croud a man is in danger to lose his Purse so in a croud of worldly businesses and prosperity a man is in greatest danger to lose his God Secondly In a time of danger then God calls you to do his will that you should not decline Duty for danger sake that you should not break a Hedg to miss a foul way See a singular example of this in Daniel when he knew the doing of his duty would be the hazard of his life when he knew the writing was sealed and that snares were laid for his life yet he would not omit duty for the saving of his life he prayed three times a day as he was wont to do his Window being open in his Chamber towards Jerusalem Dan. 6.10 So those three Noble Worthies who were so highly honoured by God as to be miraculously preserved they would not deeline duty for dangers sake Be it known unto thee O King our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from this burning Furnace but if not we will not serve thy gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up Dan. 3.17 18. So singular was the courage of Saint Peter and Saint John Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard Threaten or not threaten imprison or not imprison we cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard Thirdly A third Season when God calls us to do his will is this when he puts an opportunity into our hands of doing some special piece of service for him now is a price put into your hands now a man should do the will of God especially This is that which Mordecai told Esther Esther 4 Who knows whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this It is as if he should say It may be God hath put an opportunity into thy hand to help his Church at this time The third thing by way of Explication is this But why must the Disciples of Christ be Doers of Gods will The Reasons are these First Because the whole Body of Religion as I may say consists in these two things namely in Believing and Obeying take away one of these and Religion is a lame Religion Secondly By doing the will of our Father we shew our selves to be Disciples of Christ indeed because we now imitate our Lord and Master for thus did he see that remarkable Scripture John 6.38 I came from Heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me Thirdly Because if we do not do the will of God we shall certainly do the will of a worse Master if we do not work in Gods service we shall do the Devils drudgery if we be not workers of righteousness we shall be workers of iniquity as appears by that in Matth. 7.21 23 He that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven he shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven compare it with verse 23 And then will I say unto them I never knew you depart from me ye workers of iniquity It is as if our Saviour should say Because you would not be workers of righteousness to do the will of my Father therefore it is that you are workers of iniquity Fourthly Christians must do the will of God because this is that which makes for the honour of God John 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified if ye bring forth much fruit Look as by believing we give honour to the Truth of God so by obeying we give God the honour of his Soveraignty As obedient Children we shall shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2.9 Before I come to the Application there are two or three Objections that lie in the way which I shall endeavour to remove Object 1. It may be some will say You do so cry up Duty and doing the will of God that you infringe or eclipse the Free grace of God this is not Preaching Free grace Answ I answer This is not an infringing or an eclipsing of the free-grace of God because you must know Faith and good Works are not opposite one to another but they are subordinate they are consistent and may stand one with another very well Secondly I answer The grace of God doth not exclude all works but it excludes those works only that are meritorious Good works therefore we may say truly are Causes without which we cannot be saved though they are not Efficient Causes nor instrumental Causes yet they are Causes without which we cannot be saved as the Apostle saith Without holiness no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 So may I say here Though we be not saved for our good works yet we shall never be saved without good works I would have you to remember this Good works though they are not necessary to our Justification yet they are necessary to our Salvation there is a great deal of difference between these two to be saved by faith and saved for faith this is certain we are not saved for our faith this is the errour of the Socinians that say The Act of believing is our righteousness Though we are not saved for faith yet the Apostle saith We are saved by faith So here we are not saved for our good works yet we are not saved without good works as the Apostle saith He that is a Doer of the Word shall be blessed in his deed James 1.25 He doth not say for his deed so you may be blessed in your good works though not for your good works Thirdly I answer Although faith alone doth justifie yet that faith that is alone doth not justifie though no man is justified for his works yet that faith that is a justifying faith is a working faith Secondly It may be objected But why do you press us to do the will of God when of our selves we are not able to do it we cannot of our selves think a good thought nor speak a good word much less do the will of God in that manner as you have laid down how it must be done To this I answer Our inability doth not nullifie or make void the Commands of God God for example bids you believe 1 John 3.23 And this is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ and yet Faith it is the gift of God
you practise what you know and live up to your light God looks upon all your Praying and Reading and Hearing and Communicating as nothing if so be you do not live up to what you know Jer. 32.23 And they came in and possessed it but they obeyed not thy voyce neither walked in thy Law they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do What had they done nothing that God commanded them to do they had circumcised their Children in obedience to Gods Command they offered Sacrifices they came to the Temple they did many specious outward Duties but saith the Prophet They did nothing of all that God commanded them Why because they did not practise what they knew their lives were not answerable to the profession they made therefore God esteemed their profession no profession God esteemed their Sacrifices no Sacrifices take your Sacrifices to your selves Ezek. 20 Your new Moons and your Sabbaths and solemn Assemblies I am weary of them saith God they are an abomination unto me All their outward professions were nothing because they did not practise what they knew It is said of the Sons of Eli that they were sons of Belial they knew not the Lord 1 Sam. 2.12 It may be thou mayst have a great deal of notional knowledg thy tongue may be so tip'd with Religion that thoumayst be able to discourse upon Points of Religion very judiciously thou mayst be able to give an account of thy Faith thou mayst to able to answer an Argument thou mayst be able to defend the Truth yet if so be thou dost not live according to thy knowledg in Gods account still thou knowest nothing at all God notwithstanding all thy Knowledg looks upon thee but as an ignorant Sot as it is said of Israel Jer. 4.22 For my People are foolish they have not known me they are sottish children and have no understanding Again Though thou mayst hear a thousand Sermons if thou dost not frame thy life according to the Rule and Prescript of the Word of God in Gods esteem thou art as one that never heard a Sermon in all thy life and is not this a pitiful thing that a man for want of practise shall lose all that he hath done all his Prayers and all his Hearing and all his Communicating at the Lords Table for an unpractical Christian in Gods account hath done nothing at all methinks this should work upon your hearts If ever therefore you desire that God should look upon you as upon his Children that God should own you in a day when you would give a whole World for a smile of his face If ever you desire that Jesus Christ should give this testimony of you Father here are they that have kept thy Word if ever you would have God to say to you as he saith of some These are my Children then rest not in a bare notional profession of the Truth but let Profession and Practice Science and Conscience go together This is the first Branch of the Doctrine or the first Proposition They that obey the will of God shall know more of his Will JOHN VII 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self I Come now to the second Proposition which is this He that doth the will of God shall be more assured of what he knows This is that which our Saviour implies when he saith He shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self that is he shall know it more certainly know it more assuredly To this agrees that speech of our Saviour John 8.23 32 If you continue in my Word then are you my Disciples indeed and you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free Such an assured Knowledg had the Disciples John 6.69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God It was not a conjectural knowledg but a certain knowledg say they We believe and are sure And such a knowledg had Saint Paul 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day He is able to keep my Soul my Salvation which he calls his Depositum which he had deposited with God For the better Explication of this Truth That he that doth the will of God shall be more assured of what he knows it may be demanded What is this certainty or assurance of knowledg First There are some things to be premised or Cautions to be observed for the finding out the Nature of this sure and certain Knowledg Secondly I will give you some distinctions of Knowledg whereby you may see what it is I am speaking of Thirdly I will then give you the Description of this sure and certain Knowledg 1. That you may know what this certainty of Knowledg is there are some things to be premised some Cautions for the finding out of this sure and certain Knowledg and the Cautions are these five First When I speak of sure and certain Knowledg I do not mean an assurance of Salvation neither do I speak of the reflect act of Knowledg whereby we know that which we know 1 John 2.3 Hereby we know that we know but I speak of that the Apostle calls the full assurance of understanding Col. 2.2 When a man is so rooted setled and established in the present truth Ephes 4.14 2 Pet. 1.12 that he is not always doubting imagining haesitating and carried about with every wind of Doctrine The second Caution is this When I speak of full assurance of understanding you must remember that there cannot be such a full assurance attained that will be absolute and perfect certainly an absolute perfect certainty of Knowledg cannot be attained in this life that is free from all doubting for our knowledg in this life at the best is but imperfect We know but in part saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.9 Although it be not absolutely perfect yet it is so strong that it will not be overswayed by the opinion of others though they be very learned men and this is that which the Apostle means in that Scripture 1 Cor. 2.15 The spiritual man judgeth all things but he himself is judged of no man That is he is able to judg and discern between Truth and Error between Copper and Gold between Food and Poison he is able to discern Error from Truth He himself is judged of no man that is he is so certainly assured of the truth that he holds that the contrary judgment of others though men of greater parts and greater Scholars shall not oversway him or make him to stagger It is true indeed Thomas staggered a while at the Doctrine of the Resurrection yet he recovered himself and afterwards came to that certainty that he cryed out My Lord and my God John 22.20 A man for Example
Will but they shall know it more assuredly they shall be sure of what they know and shall attain to this certainty of Knowledg that I have been speaking of then it serves to let us see what is the reason of all the Errours that are broached and so greedily drunk in in these days in which we live what is the reason of that uncertainty and unconstancy that is in Religion that men are giddy-headed turned with every wind of Doctrine and new Opinion and suck in such strange and corrupt Doctrines and that there is so many Sects and Schisms the reason is because men never attained to this full assurance of Understanding this certainty of Knowledg that the Text speaks of If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self All the knowledg that they have of the Scripture it may be it is but an Opinion or a conjecture or a guess a notional knowledg a knowledg that is taken up upon tradition or trust not that they have any assurance of it in their own hearts and understandings All the knowledg of Scepticks those that you call Seekers Nullifidians that believe nothing all whose profession is to profess nothing all their knowledg is but a meer Opinion the truth is they have no knowledg at all If they did know the truth the truth would make them free If they had known the truth they would have been rooted and fetled and established in it they would part with their lives rather than part with the truth A second Lesson you may learn hence is this It lets us see what the reason is of all that Atheism and loosness and libertinism that is in the hearts of men and practises of men at this day the reason is because they never attained to any certainty of knowledg in the Doctrine of Christ and Mysteries of Religion they never did believe the Precepts and Promises nor Threatnings of God cordially For Example Did men but believe the threatnings of the Word to name two or three When God saith Vpon the wicked he will rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup Psalm 11.6 Again when God saith that he will wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses Psalm â—8 21 And God saith expressly that no unrighteous person shall inherit the Kingdom of God neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate nor abusers of themselves with Mankind nor Thieves nor Covetous nor Drunkards nor Revilers nor Extortioners shall inherit the Kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 10. And that Text saith expresly That the fearful and unbelieving and the abominable and Murderers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all lyars shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 Did men but know these truths were they but assured of them durst they do as they do durst they venture their immortal Souls that must sink or swim for ever that are capable of endless bliss or endless remidiless misery in Hell more days than there are drops of water in the whole Ocean Durst they venture their precious Souls for the satisfying of every base lust as they do No they durst not Men do not know these truths and because they do not know them therefore it is that they do not believe them and because they do not know and believe them therefore there is in them an evil heart of unbelief to depart from the living God The first step of the Souls departure from God is by unbelief so the first step of the Souls approach to God is by Faith Unbelief is the cause of all other sins A man that doth not believe the Promises of God to embrace them nor the Threatnings of God to fear them nor the Precepts of God to obey them when he departs from God by unbelief he departs to other sins and still departs further and further so that the breach between God and the Soul is never made up again but such a man departs from God step by step until at last he comes to hear that Thunder-striking sentence Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels A second Use is by way of Examination and I beseech you my Brethren to call your selves to an account and examine whether you have this certainty of understanding this assured Knowledg that I have discoursed of May be you will say to me But how shall we know whether we have it or no Answ I will tell you how you may know it these three ways First By the names or expressions that the Spirit of God gives it Secondly By the Properties of it Thirdly By the Effects of it First You may know it by the names or Expressions that the Spirit of God gives it such Expressions as these now First It is called a Knowledg of those things which are most surely believed Luke 1.1 Not barely believed but certainly believed A second Expression is a being taught of God John 6.45 And they shall be all taught of God Thirdly It is known by this Expression by writing the Law of God in our hearts upon the Tables of our hearts Jer. 31.33 Heb. 8.10 Fourthly By this Expression by receiving the anointing that teacheth you all things 1 Joh. 2.27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth Fifthly It is known by this expression By having the mind of Christ or knowing the mind of Christ 1 Cor. 2. ult Sixthly It is known by this expression by bringing high thoughts into the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 When there is such a light in a man that it can answer those Objections that are made against the truth when it can likewise so stifle those reasonings and cavils of his back-sliding heart that none of them shall be able to beat down the truth but he shall be able to stick to the truth notwithstanding such a man hath this certainty of Knowledg Lastly It is known by this expression the manifestation of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.2 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal Secondly This certainty of knowledg may be known by the Properties of it I shall name but these four Properties First This assuring Knowledg is ever an heart-humbling knowledg Carnal knowledg natural knowledg unsanctifyed knowledg puffs a man up it makes him like a pair of Bellows as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Original signifies 1 Cor. 8.1 but this assuring Knowledg it ever makes a man base and humble in his own eyes the more you know of God and of the truths of God and of your own selves the more vile and base you will be in your own eyes I have
Saviour Jesus Christ These two go together if you grow in grace certainly you shall grow in knowledg if you grow in obedience certainly your obedience shall encrease your knowledg in the mysteries of God For the Explication of the Doctrine two Queries there are that would be satisfied First How or in what respect our obedience shall encrease our knowledg Secondly How it comes to pass or what reason can be rendred why the obedient Christian shall know more of Gods will For the first How or in what respect our obedience shall encrease our knowledg He that obeys the will of God shall know more of his will How shall he know more I answer The knowledg of an obedient Christian shall be encreased in three respects First In regard of its Subject Secondly In regard of its Object Thirdly In regard of the Manner of it First The knowledg of an obedient Christian shall be encreased in the Subject of it or the Seat of it where it is placed as I may call it now the Seat of knowledg is the mind of man the intellectual part of man his intellectual faculty shall be enlarged by his obedience it shall be made more capable of receiving Heavenly truths than it was before God will enlarge that mans understanding whereas before he was but a Babe in knowledg and understanding now he shall be a grown man whereas before he could not digest Milk now he shall be able to digest strong Meat whereas before he was but faint and feeble in knowledg now he shall be strong like David Zech. 12.8 In that day shall the Lord defend the Inhabitants of Jerusalem and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David Secondly The knowledg of an obedient Christian shall be encreased and enlarged in the Object of it the Object I call those matters or things that are to be known such a one shall know more truths more mysteries of Godliness more of Gods secrets he shall have more manifestations of the Spirit of God revealed to him more discoveries of Truth from day to day it is that which God hath promised Isa 11.9 The Earth shall be full of the knowledg of the Lord as the waters cover the Sea The Prophet speaks of a larger measure of knowledg and further discoveries of truths than was wont to be made Thirdly The knowledg of an obedient Christian shall be encreased in regard of the Manner of knowledg he shall know the Truths of God in a better manner than he was wont to do How is that you will say I answer and shall give you an instance in five particulars First He shall know truths more inwardly Secondly He shall know truths more experimentally Thirdly He shall know truths more transformingly Fourthly He shall know truths more powerfully Fifthly He shall know truths more satisfyingly First An obedient Christian shall know truths more inwardly more feelingly than he was wont to do not only have a bare apprehension but such a knowledg as shall take an impression upon his heart and therefore this inward knowledg is compared to seeing and to tasting and to smelling First It is compared to Seeing Eph. 3.8 9 Vnto me who am less than the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the Vnsearchable Riches of Christ and to make all men see not only know but see what is the fellowship of the mysterie which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who Created all things by Jesus Chuist The Italian Translation renders it that all men may see what was the dispensation of the Mysterie which was hid from the beginning of the World which God was pleased to hide in himself from the beginning of the World that all men may see I quote that Scripture to prove that inward Knowledg is compared to Seeing and Seeing is more than a bare Report according to that of Job Job 42.15 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye seeth thee I abhor my self in dust and ashes Secondly This inward Knowledg is compared to Tasting 1 Pet. 2.3 If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious Tasting is more than Knowing and Tasting is more than Seeing If all the Orators in the World should describe what the sweetness of Honey is they could not do it so well as a man that tasts it Now the Soul comes to tast the sweetness that is in Jesus Christ Notional knowledg is one thing and Tasting knowledg is another thing they have a feeling experimental knowledg in their own hearts That is another Thirdly This inward Knowledg is compared not only to Seeing and Tasting but it is compared to Smelling also Isa 11.3 And the Spirit of the Lord shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord So the words are read but the Hebrew phrase carries it thus and so it is in the Margin of your Bibles The Spirit of the Lord shall make him of quick scent or smell in the fear of the Lord That is a man that is once taught by the Spirit of God that is taught of God as our Saviour useth the Phrase such a man shall scent and smell and savour and breathe out nothing but holiness As our Saviour it is said of him All thy garments smell of Myrrh and Aloes and Cassia Psalm 45.8 And because of the savour of thy good Ointments thy Name is as Ointment poured forth Cant. 1.3 Look as the Ointment that was poured on our Saviours head left such a scent or smell behind it that the whole house was filled with the savour of it John 12.3 So is it in this case a man that hath once received the Spirit of God and is taught by the Spirit of God such a man shall have such a sweet savour of the knowledg of God that it shall be able to diffuse it self to others 2 Cor. 2.14 The Apostle Saint Paul blesseth God for this that he caused them to triumph in Christ and made manifest the savour of his knowledg by them in every place And our Latin word for Wisdom Sapientia it hath its derivation from this it is a savoury Knowledg So that this inward Knowledg is more than bare apprehension it is you see compared to Seeing Touching and to Smelling Secondly He shall know truths more experimentally than he did before and this is that you read of John 4.42 It is the speech of the Samaritans to the woman that had left her Water-pot and went into the City of Samaria and declared to them of the City what she had heard and seen concerning Christ Now say they we believe not for thy sayings for we have heard him our selves and know that this indeed is the Christ the Saviour of the world And thus likewise did the Disciples make a Confession of Christ John 6.69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God
Thirdly An obedient Christian shall know truths more transformingly that is he shall be transformed into the very Image of those truths that he knows 2 Cor. 3. ult But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord That is we are changed from one degree of grace unto another by the Spirit of God That is an excellent knowledg that is a transforming knowledg that makes a Christian have a heart framed into the Word of God that is cast into the Mould of the Doctrine of the Word of God made like unto it as Lead that is melted and cast into a Mould is of the shape of the Mould Rom. 6.17 But ye have obeyed from the heart that form of Doctrine which was delivered you or into which ye were delivered or cast Fourthly An obedient Christian shall know truths more powerfully than he did before that those truths which he knows shall over-awe his heart that he dare do nothing against the truth but for the truth 2 Cor. 13.8 For we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth Acts 4.20 We cannot but speak the things which we have heard and seen It was an excellent speech of Saint Hierom I can die for the truth but I cannot deny the truth nor be silent whereas another man it may be he can oppose the truth and the ways of truth though he knows he ought not to do it it may be another man can break his Vows and Covenants and Promises and Protestations although he knows the sin of Covenant-breaking is a grievous sin and shall be severely punished as appears by that remarkable Scripture Ezek. 17.15 16 Where it is testified of Zedekiah that after he had made a Covenant with Nebuchadnezzar he rebelled against him and saith God Shall he prosper he that doth such things as these are shall he prolong his days He hath broken his Covenant saith God shall he be delivered As I live saith the Lord he shall die in that Land for his Covenant-breaking So I say a man may have so much knowledg that he knows such and such things are sin and he may know the Judgment of God that they that do such things are worthy of death yet they do it and take pleasure in them that do it For example They know that Whoredom is a sin and a damnable sin that carries thousands to Hell Stollen waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant but he knoweth not that the dead are there and that her Guests are in the depths of Hell Prov. 9.17 18. Those works of darkness are pleasant for a while but the Devils banquet shall have the Devils shot Though a wicked man knows that whoredom is a sin yet his knowledg is so weak that it hath no powerful influence upon his heart and life but now an obedient Christian he shall know truths so powerfully that they shall have an awe upon his Soul Thus was it with the Prophet David Psalm 119.161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart stands in awe of thy Word That is the fourth an obedient Christian knows truths more powerfully Fifthly He that doth the will of God for the manner of his Knowledg shall know truths more satisfyingly to oversway all Objections that are made against him and all discouragements that he meets with in the way of holiness Saint Paul tells us how it was with him in this regard Gal. 1.15 16 When it pleased God to reveal Jesus Christ in me That phrase in me is very remarkable A man may have Jesus Christ revealed to him and yet not revealed in him but when God revealed Christ in me immediately I consulted not with flesh and blood but this Knowledg did preponder and out-weigh all Objections that could be made against it Another man that hath but a weak and feeble knowledg it may be he takes check at the ways of holiness and what says he If I walk in a strict way and am circumspect and careful in ordering my conversation I shall be scorned and opposed and contemned and these his Objections prevails with him A man now on the other side that is taught of God is able to answer all these Objections and to pass through good report and ill report This is the first thing for Explication Secondly By way of Explication it may be demanded But how comes it to pass that obedient Christians shall know more than others For answer to this I shall give you these four Reasons for it First Because God hath promised the Holy Ghost to them that obey him Acts 5.31 32 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins and we are his witnesses of these things and so is also the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him You must understand it aright God doth not promise the Holy Ghost for our obedience but in a way of obedience now if God give his Spirit to them that obey him then they shall have more knowledg they shall know more of his will for the Spirit of God is a Spirit of light and opens our understanding The Spirit of God is a teaching Spirit and they that are taught by the Spirit of God shall certainly come to Jesus Christ John 6.45 All thy children shall be taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me Isa 54.13 And the Spirit of God is a leading Spirit The Spirit will lead you into all Truth the Spirit will not only take you by the hand but lead you in the way that you should walk in As you lead your children when you teach them to go so the Spirit will lead you into all truth that man to whom the Spirit of God is given must certainly needs know more of the Mystery of Salvation Secondly A second Reason is this Because God hath made many Promises to the obedient how many precious Promises have you in that one Scripture Deut. 28 If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voyce of the Lord thy God to observe and to do all his Commandements then the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all the Nations of the Earth and all these blessings shall come upon thee blessed shalt thou be in the City and in the Field and in the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and an the fruit of thy Cattel and thy Kine and the Flocks of thy Sheep and blessed shall be thy basket and thy store blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in and when thou goest out c. There are blessings of all sorts promised and among others this is one for saith our Saviour To him that hath shall be given and it is twice repeated in one Evangelist in Matth. 13.12 and Matth. 25.29